(Lucy Ann Snowden Ellis Jernigan--Continued from page 3)

Lucy Ann's father, Aaron was born in Botetourt Co., VA, which was Cherokee territory at that time but her mother, Ester Webster, was born in Maryland and may not have been Indian.  My father, Richard Wesley Jernigan, told us we were 1/8th Indian and whether that was from his grandmother, Lucy Ann, is still a question.
    After James was killed, Lucy Ann must have gone back to Covington Co., AL, to live with relatives and that is where she married Cary on 12 Apr 1838 in a wedding performed by Justice of Peace, George Snowden.  Carry and Lucy Ann settled in Conecuh, Co., AL.  The 1840 census lists them living near Edward, Ben, Jr. (not the original Ben, he was in Florida), Joseph, and William Jernigan - all brothers.  The census listed: 1 male 30-40 (Cary was 38), 1 female 20-30 (Lucy Ann was about 28), 1 male 15-20 (a nephew?), 1 male 5-10 (Wadkins W. Ellis), 2 females 5-10 (Eliza and Melissa Ellis?), 2 females under 5 (Nancy & Josephine Jernigan)
    By 1850 they had moved back to Santa Rosa, Co., FL, (formally Escambia Co.), near Milton where the census shows Cary Jernigan, farmer, (48); Lucy Ann (38); Nancy V. (13); Josephine M. (11); Richard Call (9); Laura A. (7); James W. (5); and F{une}-{George?} (6/12).  The three Ellis children were probably left with the Snowdens in Alabama as they're not on the census.
    Family legend indicates that Lucy Ann had a license to practice medicine (not a midwife) and could not write.  She went when called to tend the sick and probably used Indian cures that she had learned from her parents. Due to his service in the Indian Wars, Cary was granted a bounty of eighty acres by the Department of the Interior on 22 Jan 1851.  Cary died on 14 Oct 1851 before the warrant was issued on 25 Nov 1851, so it was cancelled due to his death.  Lucy Ann, however, took the matter to court and got the bounty back.  She signed the document with her mark, "X". 
    The 1860 census of Santa Rosa Co., FL, Milton post office shows Lucy Ann Jernigan (50), James Walton (15), Ezekial (Richard?) (18), George (10), Angeline (Laura A.) (11), Henry (Last possible son of Cary) (8), Eliza (Ellis?) (29), Benj. (8), Waid (7), Florence (4), Richard (3), and Benjamin Cobb (farm laborer) (18).
    During the Civil War, times were difficult for farmers in the South with many of the young men off to war, including James Walton Jernigan, my grandfather.  He enlisted at age 16 on 21 Mar 1862 and was discharged on 1 Nov 1863 at Pollard, AL.  The last 6 months of his service he was listed as "Absent from duty- sick", which may have been Malaria.  After the war things were a lot worse (reconstruction, high taxes, etc.).  Lucy sold everything she could and took the family and their animals to Appalachicola, FL, and then by barge, to Galveston, Texas, and then to DeWitt Co., TX.  My Aunt Rachel, James W.'s oldest daughter wrote that twenty two Jernigans came with Lucy Ann.
    The 1870 census of DeWitt Co., TX, lists Lucy Ann Jernigan (60), W.W. Ellis (40), R.C.Jernigan (28), James (25), George (18), Henry (15), R.A. (10), and Bruce (8).  R.A. and Bruce were possibly Eliza's sons.  Then the family that was left with Lucy Ann began to leave home and establish their own families.  The 1880 census lists Lucy Ann with her son Wadkins W. Ellis and they were near Smiley, TX where she died 20 Jan 1881 and is buried in the old Masonic Cemetery, one mile west of town.
    Lucy was almost 69 years at death, three children by James C. Ellis, a lumber mill owner for three years, and nine children by Cary Jernigan a farmer.  She knew hard work and times quite intimately, but managed to rear her children and care for the sick nearby.  I would like to have met her.